If you are using the id card printer ribbon type that has two spools and the ribbon breaks during printing, do not do what many people do and throw the rest of the card printer ribbon away. It is possible to save most of the remaining prints left on the ribbon by following these instructions.

1. Remove the printer ribbon spools from the printer and stand them upright on their ends.
2. Pull some of the ribbon from the spool supplying the ribbon and line it up with the end of the ribbon from the spool taking used ribbon. You may need to trim the ribbon with sissors to line them up.
3. Tape the broken ends of the ribbon that you have matched together.
4. Roll the ribbons one time around so that the tape is wound inside the used ribbon spool and not visible.
5. Place the ribbon back into the printer following the manufacturers guidelines for placing print ribbons in your printer.
6. Turn the power to the printer off.
7. After a few moments, turn the printer power back on and begin your id card printing processes.

If you are using a printer cartridge from the newer id badge printers, such as the Fargo C30, follow the directions below.

1. Remove the printer cartridge from the printer.
2. Line up the broken ribbon ends.
2. Tape the right hand spool ribbon to the left hand spool with a piece of scotch tape.
3. Turn the take up spool on the left counter clockwise to wind up a few panels of the ribbon.
4. Reinsert the cartridge.
5. Turn the printer off.
6. After a few moments, turn the printer power back on. This will reset the ribbon to the proper color panel.

Visit our website for more information on id card printers. We provide the following printer lines: Fargo Printer, Evolis Printer, CIM Printer and Magicard Printer. Ideal id sofware, cameras and all accessories and supplies are available to make id card printing easy.

When cleaning the Evolis printers, it is good to clean the rollers at the same time that a cleaning card is used to clean the inside of the printer. Following are the steps to cleaning the roller in your Evolis printer.

1. Open the Evolis printer cover.

2. Remove the print ribbon.

3. Remove the cleaning roller from the printer.

4. Take a new cleaning cloth and eliminate dirt and dust on the roller by rubbing the cloth gently across the surface of the roller.

5. Place the roller back into the printer when it is dry.

6. Return the print ribbon back into the ribbon spindles.

7. Close the cover.

As always, our technicians are available for assistance at 704-535-5200; we look forward to hearing from you!

A new Evolis ID card printer comes with drivers and instruction manuals so that installation should be simple with straightforward driver and software downloads. Just in case the included CDs are misplaced or there are additional questions about your printer that you would like to research, Evolis has created a product support area on their website to assist in providing needed information efficiently. Choose the printer you need assistance with and your driver or frequently asked questions are a click away.

The driver/support area allows you to select the printer that you have. Needed information or drivers can be easily reviewed and downloaded.

To keep your Evolis printer running smoothly, it is recommended that the internal parts of the printer be cleaned about every 1,000 prints. The cleaning light will light on the printer when the recommended cards have run through the printer and cleaning is due. Following are the recommended steps to clean the ID card printers.

1. Turn the printer on.

2. Open the printer cover.

3. Remove the print ribbon.

4. Close the cover.

5. Open a new Evolis cleaning card.

6. Remove PVC cards from the card feeder and insert the cleaning card into the feeder.

7. Adjust the card thickness to the maximum position.

8. Place the feeder back into the printer.

9. Press the green button on the control panel for a few seconds and the cleaning will begin.

10. The cleaning card will eject.

For more information about Evolis ID card printers, visit our Evolis Tattoo, Evolis Pebble, Evolis Dualys, Evolis Quantum or Evolis Securion product pages. For a free consultation regarding what printer would be the best fit for your application, contact us toll free at 888-485-4696.

So you are in charge of taking good id card photos for your organizational id badges. Of course, you know what you will hear. “This looks worse than my driver’s license.” Don’t worry. We have tips that will guide you through the id card making process and will give you the best id card photos possible.

To get the best pictures possible of your members, set up your camera in the following way:

1. Set the digital camera to low resolution 640 x 480. You do not need a large picture to fit on an ID badge. Large pictures take up additional space on the computer.

2. Set the flash on flash fill. Turn time and date stamps on the camera off.

3. Test the camera by taking a few pictures prior to the picture shoot. This will help you feel comfortable with the particular camera and how it shoots. You can review the test shots to make sure that the pictures are correct in lighting and distance from the camera. Make sure that you photograph the person from the chest up and leave some room above the head.

For lighting and the setting we recommend the following:

1. Have the person photographed stand against a neutral backdrop. (We use light blue.)

2. Make sure there is enough light in the room. We recommend natural light, but often that is not possible. Consider setting up various light sources around the room to provide the best results for your pictures.

Ready for picture taking. Try these steps:

1. Talk with the person prior to taking the picture. Let the person know if they need to smile or be serious. Let then know if something about their hair or clothing may need to be adjusted prior to the picture.

2. Make sure that you photograph the person from the chest up and leave some room above the head.

3. Hold the camera steady or use a tripod for best picture results.

If sending the pictures to a service bureau for custom card printing.

1. Rename the .jpg picture to the person’s name.

2.Send pictures to the id badge service bureau through the method provided by your account representative.

Safe-Card ID provides all equipment and supplies needed to make id badges in house. We have id card printers and id software, cameras, and card making supplies. For more information on in house id card systems or custom id cards for your organization, contact our experts toll free at 888-485-4696.

When designing an id card, a card designer will organize the card layout and colors to just the right specifications on the screen. The badge design is perfect and so the test card is printed. It is a great feeling when the sample card looks identical to the card shown on the screen.

Unfortunately, sometimes the two images are not identical. One common difference is in the color “blue.” The blue color sometimes converts to purple on the printed card.

The way to fix this is to change the color matching that you will find in the driver. To change this go to your computer. Click on start, then settings, then printers & faxes. Right click on the driver and select “printing preferences.” Go to the device options and change the color matching to “monitor.” Test this option. If it is still not the color desired, test other options available.

If adjusting the printer driver settings does not do the trick, you will need to adjust the RGB values of the source color. Change the blue to a lighter color of blue (on the monitor) which should print a more normal blue color on your badges.

Our company provides free toll free technical support for id card printer systems and equipment purchased here at Safe-Card. If we can assist you further with your photo id card printer or your id card software, call us toll free at 888-485-4696.

When printing id cards, sometimes the id card printer will take in more than one card at a time. Usually the printer jams and stops leaving the card maker wondering what has happened. By opening up the printer and removing the multiple cards inside the printing area of the printer, the printer will be able to resume making the next id badge. Usually the card on which the error occurred will need to be manually set to reprint so that it is available for the id card holder.

Two steps will help to reduce the card jam.

1. The thickness lever at the input hopper should be set for the size of card printed. The standard PVC card is 30. Specialized cards may be more or less than 30.

2. Cards that have been recently unwrapped may be stuck together with static electricity. The best way to remove this is to hold the card by the edges and rock them back and forth until they do not cling together. You do not want to touch the printable area of the card with your fingers when handling the cards.

For specific information about current Fargo badge printers, contact us or visit the following:

Choosing an ID card printer can give a purchaser analysis paralysis. Today’s printer models are many and have optional modules and add-ons that allow from basic to advanced, secure ID cards.

The answer to the following five basic questions will narrow the quest for choosing the right card printer for your organizational needs.

1. Will the ID card need printing on a single side of the card or both sides of the card?

Single side printing of ID cards is the most common printing method. Basic ID cards typically include a cardholder’s picture, name, and title entered into a template with the company logo. Cards printed on both sides are printed on a dual sided printer. These printers print the front side of the card and then internally flip the card and print the back side before card extraction from the printer. If budget is an issue and a single side printer must be purchased, it is possible to print the front side of the card and then manually reinsert the card to be printed with the layout of the back of the badge.

2. Will the ID card need to be printed in full color?

Printers can print in monochrome or full color. The requirements of the organization will determine which capability is needed.

3. Will data need to be encoded into the card?

ID cards have become multipurpose cards in many organizations. In addition to identification needs, companies and groups often need to integrate their card with technology to open doors or transmit information to various in house systems. Specialized cards can be purchased that will allow for data to be encoded into the card for specific applications. Printer modules available can provide the data encoding capability needed.

4. Will a high level of security need to be maintained with the card?

The nature of some organizations require an additional level of security to be added to their badge. Badge duplication is a hazard to any organization, but is detrimental to highly secure areas and organizations. In stock or custom holograms may be needed to provide an additional layer of uniqueness and security to badges. Modules to place holograms on the badge are available on various models of printers.

5. Will the badges be printed from a stand alone computer or from a network?

Badges that need to be printed from larger corporations are often easily managed from a network of authorized users in various locations. Ethernet capabilities are available on many of today’s ID card printer systems.

The best way to find the correct ID card printer for your organization is to contact a ID card sales representative. Feel free to contact our representatives toll free at 888-485-4696 for a custom ID card system quote for your organizational requirements.

Needing id badges for your group or organization? Badges in the current market are made on a smooth finish PVC card. The cards are printed on specialized printers that usually print direct to card. The cards are 30 mil and are the same size as a standard credit card or driver’s license. The process to have id badges made is fairly simple. By answering a few questions about what is needed, an id card service company can design and make your cards hassle free.

One of the easiest questions to answer is what the purpose(s) of the badge is. Some badges are made for identification purposes. An example of this card may be a loyalty card that a retail organization would supply to returning customers. Other badges may authorize someone to enter a restricted area such as authorization for backstage at a concert. Some cards are multi purpose cards and provide an id as well as service more complex requirements such as door access or to debit an account. Larger corporations and higher educational facilities often incorporate a number of functions into their id card.

Once the service company is aware of the card purpose, the id card company will need to begin collecting information and needed items to begin the badge design process. The badge design will need to incorporate items required on the badge. Some of these may be the organizational logo, what types of text or bar codes are needed, if a picture is needed and other specific requirements.

When the id card design is finished and approved, specific card holder information and photos are imported into the badge design for individual card production.